4 ms·

All South Koreans to become younger as traditional age system scrapped

56 points by ranit 4y ago

iforgotpassword 4y ago
It appears this is based on the Chinese lunar calendar, they did it the same way in China back in the day. You start at 1 and get older on Chinese new year. So you can be 2 a day after you're born. :-)
quartesixte 4y ago
Such an odd system because Koreans don’t even ask for ages when asking they just ask for birth years because of how wonky this system gets. Kind of glad they’re finally putting this old system to rest.
sam_goody 4y ago
Millennia ago, all legal documents used a system like these. Documents were dated in years of the reigning monarch (because using any other system was disrespectful), but the year would always change on a given date in order to help keep things consistent. When Alexander's realm was split into four friend/foe kingdoms, they agreed between them to start a common dating system, that all documents would count from a common date. OT - It seems that they tried to remove any memory of Alexander - we have very few docs from Alexander's time; much, much less than expected - presumably, holding such a document was forbidden. On some records (such as the astronomical tables) the dates were falsified, probably so as to deny his reign. The decision to make a common date was likely related.
- tokai 4y ago
  >they tried to remove any memory of Alexander First time I have heard that. I thought it was the opposite. All his generals wanted to have his greatness rub off on them and made sure his greatness was disseminated and elevated. Deifying him and starting the cult of Alexander that lasted for half a millennia, while the tomb of his mummified corpse was a site of pilgrimage for just as long. Do you have any sources I could read on suppressing Alexander's memory?
bitwize 4y ago
Isn't that the same system we use to determine the age of racehorses?
rapjr9 4y ago
This sounds like a great way to preserve privacy, use the same birth date every year for all people born that year. Then no one can use birth date as identifying information (it should never have been used that way to start with). The birthday parties would be epic also!
- nottorp 4y ago
  But... they only do that in the US ;)
pyuser583 4y ago
Sounds like “The Giver” - everyone having same birthday.
greatgib 4y ago
Very curious, do anyone know if Koreans are used to do birthday parties so? Otherwise there is maybe a big business to grow there regarding the fact that they will maybe start to celebrate it like the rest of us in a few years when they will be used to the new system.

56 points by ranit 4y ago

It appears this is based on the Chinese lunar calendar, they did it the same way in China back in the day. You start at 1 and get older on Chinese new year. So you can be 2 a day after you're born. :-)

quartesixte 4y ago

Such an odd system because Koreans don’t even ask for ages when asking they just ask for birth years because of how wonky this system gets. Kind of glad they’re finally putting this old system to rest.

sam_goody 4y ago

Millennia ago, all legal documents used a system like these. Documents were dated in years of the reigning monarch (because using any other system was disrespectful), but the year would always change on a given date in order to help keep things consistent. When Alexander's realm was split into four friend/foe kingdoms, they agreed between them to start a common dating system, that all documents would count from a common date. OT - It seems that they tried to remove any memory of Alexander - we have very few docs from Alexander's time; much, much less than expected - presumably, holding such a document was forbidden. On some records (such as the astronomical tables) the dates were falsified, probably so as to deny his reign. The decision to make a common date was likely related.

tokai 4y ago
>they tried to remove any memory of Alexander First time I have heard that. I thought it was the opposite. All his generals wanted to have his greatness rub off on them and made sure his greatness was disseminated and elevated. Deifying him and starting the cult of Alexander that lasted for half a millennia, while the tomb of his mummified corpse was a site of pilgrimage for just as long. Do you have any sources I could read on suppressing Alexander's memory?

bitwize 4y ago

Isn't that the same system we use to determine the age of racehorses?

rapjr9 4y ago

This sounds like a great way to preserve privacy, use the same birth date every year for all people born that year. Then no one can use birth date as identifying information (it should never have been used that way to start with). The birthday parties would be epic also!

nottorp 4y ago
But... they only do that in the US ;)

pyuser583 4y ago

Sounds like “The Giver” - everyone having same birthday.

greatgib 4y ago

Very curious, do anyone know if Koreans are used to do birthday parties so? Otherwise there is maybe a big business to grow there regarding the fact that they will maybe start to celebrate it like the rest of us in a few years when they will be used to the new system.